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Monday, April 26, 2010

Our Complex

“Before the war is ended, the war party assumes the divine right to denounce and silence all opposition to war as unpatriotic and cowardly.” Robert “Fighting Bob” M. La Follette

Something “funny” happened on my way to Madison, Wi., yesterday.

I am in Madison to speak at an event against the “War Party” and its wars. I was to speak on how to do this outside of War Party Politics—based on my history of peace activism and my independent run against Nancy Pelosi in 2008. On the way here, I was informed that the room the event was to be held in was withdrawn due to “security concerns” because I am one of the speakers.

Getting down to the bottom of this is not easy. Steve, the student organizing this event here on the ground, was told on Friday that the organizers would have to put on security because I have made “controversial efforts” in the past. There is no basis for any security, because there have been no threats of violence against me. The sponsors could not afford the hefty cost of the security, so the indoor event was canceled.

So, the bottom line is, the University is not concerned FOR me, they are concerned ABOUT me.

Every so often, just for a reality check, I have to have my iPhone pinpoint my location—I am in Madison Wisconsin—not Mobile, Alabama. Mobile was where the only actual physical attempt was made on my life (inside of the front tires slashed in a car I was riding in). I have spoken several times in Madison (and at the Fighting Bob Fest—where I also got an award)--and have never felt anything other than support and love.

I have spoken in colleges and universities all over the world where I have actually received death threats and this is the first time, to my knowledge, that I have ever been shut out.

Hmm—just in the past month, I have been banned by the Catholic Church from any no-cost venue in Scranton, PA (including pressure on churches of other denominations) by the Catholic Bishop-elect, there AND I have a stay away order from the White House—first ever as far as anyone can recall.

Why have I, an avowed Peace Monger, started to get so many bans? Is it because I have changed? Is it because I am saying anything different than I have been saying for the last six years? Is it because the wars are over and I still won’t stop? No, it’s because much of the country has gone insane while I remain the same.

People who should be opposing Obama, support him—people who should be supporting him, oppose him. The Tea Party is serving the purpose of putting a crazy and violent stamp on any kind of opposition at all, and any kind of opposition to Obama is being called “racist” or “seditious” by the very same people who called opposition, “heroic” when Bush was president.

Recently, a 12 year old girl was arrested in a the office of a War Party Senator and I wasn’t the only one who got banned from the White House—five others, including three men who never have been arrested in DC—also got banned from the perimeter of the White House. If one of us should dare disobey the stay-away order, it’s a mandatory six months in jail.

How can I be a “security concern” when all my efforts have been peaceful for peace? If my efforts are ever successful, true security will reign over this planet.

Peace is a threat to only a few entities: the War Party and the War Profiteers.

Why would the University of Wisconsin do this?

Doing a cursory “google” search of the University of Wisconsin and its ties (like most universities) to the War Party and its profiteer-masters brings up some interesting facts.

U of W gets a lot of “research” funding from defense industries and, as a state, Wisconsin is moving up the ladder of war profiteering graft.

It’s not so easy to get current stats, but according to a report from 2004, these are some companies that U of W is invested in:

Weapon Manufacturer

UW Investment*

Boeing 1,015,535

Caterpillar Inc. 74,813

General Dynamics 153,150

General Electric 1,309,462

Lockheed Martin 548,553

Northrop Grumman 762,619

Raytheon 15,831

3,879,963

So, just like everything and everywhere else, the Military industrial Complex has its evil tentacles here in a state that gave us the progressive gift of Robert La Follette.

The tiny, idyllic burg of Hood River, Or, fights for its death merchant, Insitu/Boeing and a University that was a hot bed of activism in the 1960s, UC Berkeley, has an active ROTC program and an evil war criminal teaching in its law school: John Yoo.

Since 9/11/2001, our rights have been steadily and increasingly eroded. I know mine have been suppressed even more under the current administration than the previous one.

We do have a Complex in this country—the Military Industrial one.

The MIC is obviously the boss.

update: the University relented and is allowing us to use the room for the panel.

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